Voiceover is booming, and it happens to be one of those fields where you can find success from anywhere in the world. There are more people creating than ever before which means there are more auditions for potential voiceover actors. Did you know that you can record professional voiceover spots right from the comfort of your bedroom? It is true. Let me show you how.
Step 1
Take some professional voiceover classes for the genre you’re interested in. You can choose from anyone worldwide to take a voiceover class with. Don’t live in LA but want to take classes from the top coaches, casting directors, and even professional voiceover actors? You can sign up to do it and take the class from the comfort of your own bedroom. Beginning voiceover classes will teach you how to work with your microphone, what microphone to buy, and what programs you can use to record auditions and professional spots.
Step 2
Set up your own professional voiceover studio. All you need is the microphone of your choice. Condenser mics are best, but when you’re starting out and aren’t sure if you’re going to dive in, get whatever mic you can afford. You will also need recording software so you can save/send the work recorded. There are free softwares that you can download such as Audacity, and if you have a Mac, the program GarageBand will usually come with it. If you are not on a budget and don’t have a USB microphone, you will need an interface such as the avid mbox mini (which is the hardware that you need to connect your microphone to your computer). You will need a quiet area or a room you can sound treat. Closets work very well just make sure your AC is off and that no noise comes through. Then you can sign up for Source Connect. There are two versions: Source Connect Now and Source Connect Standard. Your coach can guide you to the equipment that is right for your voiceover needs.
Step 3
Pick a genre or niche. Genres include commercial, animation, radio imaging, toys, video games, ADR looping, audio book narrating and so much more. It is best to pick a genre that matches your voice and what you enjoy doing. If you’re not sure, then you can ask a voiceover coach. Pro tip: commercial voiceover books a lot more than animation and makes up the majority of the highest paying jobs.
Step 4
After you’re comfortable with your voice and know which genre is right for you, it’s time to make a voiceover demo. As long as you have a good mic, quiet sound treated room, and source connect, the producer will be able to record, direct, and produce your demo.
Pro tip: Research and find the best demo producer for the genre that you want to work in. You can also listen to demos they have previously produced on their website.
Step 5
Find casting opportunities online and start auditioning. There are pay to play sites for voiceover and there are free castings sites online. At this point, you can also send your demo to agents and see if you get signed. Pro tip: Sometimes there are voiceover auditions on Tongal.
Step 6
Don’t get discouraged if you don’t land something right away. it sometimes takes a few months or more to land a gig and hundreds of auditions. As long as you’re having fun and continue your voiceover education, then you will figure out what area you can succeed in.
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Note From Tongal: This blog is part of a series of Tongal Community-written blog posts that were originally sourced in the Tongal Blog Open Call Project. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Tongal. Read more Tongal Community-written posts here!
